Guitars, Drums, Tones, and Saxophones

I’m back from The Fest, and am still sorting out the weekend. I drank untold amounts of PBR, ($2 tallboys! I can’t resist a bargain) met and hung out with some awesome people, and of course, saw lots of amazing bands. A few highlights:

• Off With Their Heads‘ last-minute secret show at the Atlantic, playing Hospitals straight through
• The whole Red Collar set. Seriously, wow.
• Frank Turner in my friend’s hotel room late Sunday night
• Seeing Red City Radio’s Garrett perform like a million times
• Mixtapes! Both acoustic at the Holiday Inn and with the full band at Rumrunners. They covered Jimmy Buffett’s “Cheeseburger in Paradise”
• And of course, Dear Landlord decked out like Juggalos for their set.

Being my first Fest, I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect. But now, I’m hooked. I absolutely must return for Fest 10 next year.

So, to those who went, what were the best things you saw?

After the break is a list of bands I saw. Italics for partial set.

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Thought About Growing Up

Mixtapes are a band from Cincinnati who have already been spoken of here. They joined up with the venerable Death to False Hope Records, and released the absurdly addictive album/EP Maps that is already destined for a spot on my top 10 of 2010 (likely in the top 5. Seriously, I can’t stop listening). Now, these pop-punkers are back with a 4-song EP, again for download from DTFH. So how’s it fare?

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Mixtapes - Maps

Mixtapes are a band out of Ohio, who will be sharing their debut album, Maps, with the world via Death to False Hope Records. DTFH, if you don’t know, is a donation-based label that, like Jeff Rosenstock’s Quote-Unquote Records, posts all of its releases online for your free downloading pleasure. They tend to put out awesome material, and Mixtapes are another strong band that backs up that reputation for quality.

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